


Compliment Each Other Like Colors

by americanchemicals



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Color Blindness, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 21:09:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13221300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanchemicals/pseuds/americanchemicals
Summary: When you look into your soulmate's eyes, the world fills with color. Until then, people are forced to live in black & white, yearning for the day they're able to see the universe in a different way.





	Compliment Each Other Like Colors

Everyone had a fascination with colors. From a young age, Ryan had been no different, asking his parents the colors of different objects with childlike eagerness. He knew that his eyes were brown, and his hair was black, and the sky was blue. He wished more than anything he could be like the people that met their soulmate at a young age, because he wanted more than anything to be able to discern between the different shades of grey. 

As he got older, he never stopped wishing more than anything that he could meet his soulmate. But it soon was less because of the colors, and more because of what he saw around him. Throughout high school, when most people met their soulmate, he watched how happy the couples were. How the air around people was lighter when they were with their soulmates, how they didn't seem to have a care in the world. And Ryan wanted that more than anything.

He was petty when his younger brother met his soulmate. His brother was in high school while he had advanced to college, and he had pretended to feign joy when he had received the animated phone call. He was happy for Jake, really, but he was tired of living in a world without color. 

It got so bad, that in his senior year of college he grew depressed. As he advanced through different companies he became engrossed in work, trying to distract himself and bury himself in work. In the end, it seemed to pay off, because he was eventually hired to work as a video producer to Buzzfeed. He enjoyed it there, and his coworkers were friendly, albeit a bit strange at times. 

"Hey Ryan, Jen called in sick and we have a shoot today, would you mind filling in?" Ned asked one morning, when Ryan still had yet to consume his coffee. Barely awake, he agreed, forgetting to ask what the hell he was getting himself into. Walking down to the set, he was both pleased and horrified to find out that it was a taste-testing video. Usually these things went really well or left him so sick that he couldn't eat for the rest of the day. 

"You've met Shane, right?" Ned said as the crew about them set up, and he shook his head no. He had heard all about the man, about his height and his humor, and he sounded like a pretty cool guy, but they worked on different ends of the floor so their paths hadn't crossed yet. Ned gestured over to the giant that was supposedly Shane, who had his back turned to them as he talked with Keith a few feet away. 

Ryan went and sat at the table that had been set up, knowing that it would be awhile before they got to the actual filming. Because he was part of the first pair being filmed, they still had to set up all the lights and cameras and do a few tests to make sure everything looked good. Shane eventually joined him, and when he turned to introduce himself to Ryan, shaking his hand, Ryan's whole world stopped. 

Taking in his surroundings, the burst of color, it was indescribable. Shane dropped Ryan's hand and it felt into his lap, and Shane pulled out his phone like nothing had happened. Ryan sat in a bit of shock, confused, but also dazed at the sudden intake of pigmentation that now illuminated his universe. Shane, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. 

Not really sure what to do, Ryan shrunk into his seat. Shane would address him if he suddenly saw in color, wouldn't he? That's what soulmates did, they acknowledged that they were soulmates and then made more plans to get to know each other better. Shane should've asked to exchange numbers or something, right? He wouldn't just turn away and start playing on his phone, right?

Ryan was too anxious to speak up, because Shane had turned away so quickly after introducing himself. Shane had acted like he was just another coworker, not treating him like a proper soulmate. 

Was Ryan not Shane's soulmate?

Panic began to fill his chest, and tears began bubbling up in his eyes at the thought, because this wasn't something he had ever heard of before. Standing up quickly, knocking the chair behind him onto the ground, he bolted out of the room, confusing everyone around him. 

"What happened?" Shane asked, tucking his phone into his back pocket as he stood up. People shrugged, clearly startled, and Shane excused himself, going after the man he had just met. Going to the bathroom, because that's where everyone always seemed to go when they stormed out of rooms, Shane was greeted with the sounds of muffled sobs. He didn't know why he followed Ryan, but he was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, he couldn't stop his limbs from chasing after him. 

"Ryan?" he questioned tentatively, and the crying stopped, like someone was holding their breath, trying to keep quiet. 

"Is everything alright?" he inquired, and a stall door swung open, revealing a distressed Ryan.

"Can you see color?" the shorter man demanded more than asked, and Shane nodded. 

"I've been able to see color for a few weeks-" Shane started explaining as silence began to build between them, and Ryan began to retreat and slam the stall door between them once again, but Shane shoved himself into the cramped space. He was determined to not let the plastic divider to separate them, because his chest physically ached as the sight of Ryan with tear-stained cheeks. It was insane, because Shane literally only knew this guy's name and nothing more, and he usually was a pretty logical guy. There was just something about Ryan, he had to know that the black-haired man was okay. 

"I don't know my soulmate," Shane tried again, and Ryan let go of the force he had been applying to the door. 

"I saw color when I looked into your eyes," Ryan mumbled, staring down at the floor. 

"I saw color one morning a few weeks ago when looking through a crowded welcoming party here, so I'd say the only reasonable thing to do now is to ask if I could kiss you," Shane replied, throwing caution to the wind.

"How are you so calm?" Ryan asked, looking up, and Shane shrugged.

-

A year later, and they both knew that the universe had made the right decision. They were cuddled together under a tree at the park, eating what was Shane's idea of a romantic picnic.

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with different assorted popcorn, you really are my soulmate," Ryan wheezed as Shane unzipped his backpack to reveal its contents. 

"Not everyone had the time to individually hand-dip strawberries in chocolate," Shane offered, giving Ryan his sandwich.

"I like this a lot more than strawberries," Ryan said, placing a kiss to Shane's cheek. As they sat under the tree, arguing over dumb things like who's turn it was to do the dishes and if Shane could get a pet parrot, they both knew that they could do this for the rest of their life and never get tired of it.

"Look, a rainbow," Shane pointed to it in the sky.

"That's gay," Ryan whispered, and Shane shoved him playfully. 

"You're gay." 

"Wait, what?" Ryan feigned shock, placing a hand on his chest like he was scandalized. 

"Just shut up and eat your caramel corn," Shane wheezed before kissing him. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is xythri so hmu if you want or don't this is a free country


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